


i bet you look good on the dance floor

by words_unravel



Series: hs bingo prompt fills (2010 card) [4]
Category: Bandom, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Community: hs_bingo, Gen, School Dances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-06
Updated: 2010-12-06
Packaged: 2018-01-17 20:25:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1401343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/words_unravel/pseuds/words_unravel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[<i>prompt:</i> <span class="ljuser i-ljuser"></span><a class="i-ljuser-profile" href="http://hs-bingo.livejournal.com/profile"><img class="i-ljuser-userhead"/></a><a class="i-ljuser-username" href="http://hs-bingo.livejournal.com/"></a><b>hs_bingo</b> - school dance]<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	i bet you look good on the dance floor

**Author's Note:**

> [ _a/n:_ I know nothing about the Summerlin schools so please forgive any transgressions. Enjoy!]

* * *

_[junior high/freshman year]_

His mom kicks him out of the car right at the entrance to the gym. He turns around, sticking his head back into the car and whines, "Mom-"

"I don't care, Spencer James Smith, it's three measly hours. I am completely certain that you will live." There's a stern look, and Spencer rolls his eyes, sighing loudly.

" _Fine_. I would like to submit my wholehearted objection to this entire debacle." His stupid tie is tight and Spencer swears he's feeling a little light-headed at the lack of oxygen.

His mother waves a hand, raising her eyebrow and responds with, "Duly noted. Your tie is fine, honey. Quit messing with it–" Spencer drops his hand away, "–and _go inside_. I'll be back around 10:30."

Rolling his eyes again, Spencer steps back. He lets the door slam just a little too loud judging by the look his mom sends him through the window. He shrugs an _oops_ and she just shakes her head. He can see her lips move, like she's mumbling to herself what a horrible son he is, and then she's gone.

With another heavy sigh, he turns around to face the building. The faint sounds of radio pop floats out as a couple kids pull the doors open. Spencer shoves his hands in the pocket of his (painstakingly ironed) slacks and heads inside.

*

Every year, the eighth graders get a party at the end of the school year. They're moving from middle school to the high school and so the administration always puts together a banquet to commemorate the occasion. There's crappy cafeteria food that's served on actual plates so that maybe it'll disguise the fact that it's still disgusting cafeteria food, one of the teachers masquerading as the DJ, and formal wear.

Spencer thinks if they really wanted to celebrate the fact that they're all moving on, they'd cancel all the tests next week. But hey, he's here in his dark blue blazer and stupid red tie, so his ideas apparently don't have much merit with the Summerlin School Board. Looking around, he can see that it's pretty much every school dance cliche _ever_. There's clusters of girls gathered on the south side of they gym and most of the guys are scattered in groups throughout the bleachers.

God, he wishes Ryan were here. Then at least he'd have someone to help him make fun of everyone's stupid ties and jackets.

Actually, now that he thinks about, Ryan didn't go to his banquet. Spencer had offered him the blazer he's currently wearing, but Ryan had waved it off. They'd stayed up most of the night instead, watching movies where shit blew up and eating so much pizza, soda, and popcorn that they'd almost been sick.

Spencer remembers another part of that night, walking past the kitchen and hearing his mother talking softly, telling George that Ryan was at the house and staying over while he worked the night shift.

At least now he can tell Ryan that he didn't miss anything.

*

Sheila Walters asks him to dance and he's so shell-shocked that it takes three tries to stutter out an acceptance. She smiles at him, but he can tell she's amused _by_ him, _not_ at him. He steps on her toes once, but she just giggles and tells him softly that this is the first time she's ever danced with anyone. Spencer grins back at her.

"Me, too. I mean, my mom showed me–" He can feel a blush heating up his face, but Sheila just nods, telling him that is was the most embarrassing thing, standing in the living room with her dad as they waltzed around and around.

"Like, do they even _play_ waltzes anymore?" Her eyes are green and they sparkle in the swirling lights. He smiles back, blurting out, "My drum coach was just teaching me about 3/4 time last week. It's actually pretty cool!"

Sheila perks up a little and for the rest of the song, lets him geek out at her. When the song ends, she does a little curtsy and Spencer laughs, giving her a short bow in return. She smiles in delight at that–she's really pretty when she smiles, Spencer thinks–before heading back to her friends. He makes his way off the dance floor, a grin stretching across his face. Dancing and nervousness apparently make him a thirsty and he lifts his head, looking for the concessions table.

Ryan's standing in the shadows near the door and Spencer stops dead, stunned. He's wearing a red coat, one so dark it looks almost black in the low light of the gym. A skinny black tie hangs down over the front of his pressed white shirt.

Drink forgotten, Spencer strides over. "What are you doing here?"

Ryan straightens his tie, making sure his little silver tie tack is where it's supposed to be. Spencer snorts, trust Ryan to actually have a _tie tack_. "I heard there was a shindig going on here tonight," Ryan answers.

Spencer rolls his eyes. "Yeah, a shindig of _boring_. Whatever, I'm glad you're here."

"Didn't look too boring just a second ago, Mr. Fancypants Dancer."

Blushing, Spencer mumbles, "Shut up, dickface."

"Ginger will be so proud when I tell her," Ryan smirks, relaxing back against the wall.

"Yeah, yeah. _You're_ the high school student who's hanging out with the kiddies."

Ryan just shrugs, saying softly enough that Spencer has to lean forward just a little to hear him, "Can't leave my best friend hanging."

A grin spreads slowly across Spencer's face. He settles next to Ryan on the wall and bumps his shoulder. Pointing across the gym, he says, "Oh man, you should see Brent's jacket. It's epically hideous."

Ryan strains to see in the half-lit gym, and Spencer laughs at the horrified grimace on Ryan's face as he finally catches sight of Brent.

Maybe this stupid dance isn't so bad after all.

 


End file.
